# Was Colin Kaepernick actually trying to protest police brutality or just trigger conservatives **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 15, 2019, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148 "2019-07-15T20:58:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/81 "2019-07-17T15:31:44Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > And, yes, frankly, I do think that, had Peyton Manning kneeled at during the anthem, people would not be offended, as they’d take it as prayer, just like when other people have taken the knee on the field. Is Tebowing offensive? Why not? > [@](#): > > However, I do not think the race of the person kneeling was the issue. It’s the cause that people don’t support. The hatred for BlackLivesMatter predates Kaepernick. A white guy doing it, no matter his reputation, wouldn’t have been able to make that point, though. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/82 "2019-07-17T16:53:21Z")
> [@CAH66](#): > > While I can’t pretend to speak for all the military people out there, I can say that there are a lot of military members who feel that disrespect to the flag and the anthem is a slap in the face. If someone publicly smashed a crucifix every week on TV because they were pissed at the church’s scandals, would you expect rank and file Catholics to not feel insulted and angry because it wan’t “aimed” at them? A crucifix is a specifically Catholic symbol. Of course smashing one is more aimed at Catholics than it is at Jews or Sikhs (and that’s an inaccurate analogy; Kaepernick did not smash or otherwise harm a flag.) An American flag is equally the flag of Americans who are civilians as it is of Americans who are in the Armed Services. The U.S. flag belongs to Colin Kaepernick as much as it does you or any other American who has ever lived. ---
**Author:** ![stofsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@stofsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stofsky)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/83 "2019-07-17T17:06:37Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > The wonderlic test isn’t a mensa entrance exam. Think about the population of those being examined. Ummm…as a matter of fact, it is one that Mensa accepts. 35 is the minimum score. [https://www.us.mensa.org/join/testing/scoreevaluation/testscoreconversion/](https://www.us.mensa.org/join/testing/scoreevaluation/testscoreconversion/) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/84 "2019-07-17T17:44:16Z")
Just out of curiousity, **CAH66** , is this a, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”, type of thing, that you would defend his right to do so? Or do you think that players should have to stand for the flag? Cuz if it’s the former, I don’t have a problem with it. If it’s the latter, I don’t think you’re a racist necessarily, but it’s pretty shitty. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/85 "2019-07-17T18:25:28Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > “Hates this country” != “this country is not currently living up to its ideals” > > If you talk to your kid about something they have done wrong does that mean you hate your kid? Everyone in America thinks this country has problems and would like it to be better. That does not mean they treat this country and its symbols with disrespect. Kaepernik has chosen to treat the anthem with disrespect, when people pointed out that they were offended he kept doing it, he has worn socks depicting policemen as pigs, he has expressed support for Che Guevera who wanted to nuke the US, and he recently nixed the production of a shoe with the Betsy Ross flag because he said the flag represents slavery. He has made his feelings about this country plain ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Kearsen1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen1)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/86 "2019-07-17T18:51:16Z")
Cool test, I just scored a 39 with 2 minutes to spare. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/87 "2019-07-17T19:06:13Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > Everyone in America thinks this country has problems and would like it to be better. That does not mean they treat this country and its symbols with disrespect. [Your president.](https://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/trump-hugs-american-flag-ap-img.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2019, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/88 "2019-07-17T23:48:21Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > Everyone in America thinks this country has problems and would like it to be better. That does not mean they treat this country and its symbols with disrespect. > > Kaepernik has chosen to treat the anthem with disrespect, when people pointed out that they were offended he kept doing it, he has worn socks depicting policemen as pigs, he has expressed support for Che Guevera who wanted to nuke the US, and he recently nixed the production of a shoe with the Betsy Ross flag because he said the flag represents slavery. He has made his feelings about this country plain Does grounding your kid mean you’re treating them with disrespect, even if you’re preventing them from doing something they really want to do? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/89 "2019-07-18T00:53:34Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > Kaepernik has chosen to treat the anthem with disrespect Or another perfectly valid interpretation is that by kneeling during the anthem he is respectfully protesting American racism. > [@puddleglum](#): > > when people pointed out that they were offended he kept doing it, So you think somebody should automatically stop doing anything that anybody else complains about being offended by? I’ll remember that. > [@puddleglum](#): > > he has worn socks depicting policemen as pigs, Even if true, that has jack-shit to do with “the country and its symbols”. Policemen are not symbols of America. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/90 "2019-07-18T01:53:19Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > Kaepernik has chosen to treat the anthem with disrespect, when people pointed out that they were offended he kept doing it 1. The reasons behind it were all explained to you, but you chose to ignore or disbelieve them. 2. Most people were NOT offended by it. Many people were offended by your side’s histrionics over it. Yet you folks didn’t stop just because other people were offended by the attitudes, lies, slander and hate. > [@](#): > > he has worn socks depicting policemen as pigs I’d love it if you could live one year as a black person in America, and then talk to us about this one again. Police officers are not a symbol of America. They aren’t perfect heroes worthy of being worshiped. All too many communities have serious issues with the behavior of their police departments. Even people like me have serious issues with all the bad cops out there being protected by all the alleged good cops, who, if they were really good cops, would be happy to be rid of those bad cops. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/91 "2019-07-18T01:55:09Z")
Aren’t police being depicted as pigs a pretty old meme, anyways? Seriously, they’re just a goofy pair of socks. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/92 "2019-07-18T02:07:19Z")
I’m not equating disliking Kaepernik protest with advocating state-sanctioned\* murder but every time I read these threads I keep thinking some people are losing perspective. What is worse? Not standing in front of a piece of cloth or a police office shooting an unarmed black man in the face? \*State-sanctioned since the murderer is protected by the blue line and the DA. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/93 "2019-07-18T02:35:26Z")
I’m surprised no one has linked to [this post](https://66.media.tumblr.com/990f45b14a7b53b4158b01cc09bade02/tumblr_ocsbqujvmy1uqn8s6o1_1280.png) yet. It seems pretty relevant in just about every conversation about CK. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148/94 "2019-07-23T07:38:43Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Well it was after talking to a veteran that he started kneeling, because that veteran told him kneeling was _more_ respectful. See your views on the flag and respect are not universal and its frankly the opposite of freedom that you insist that it is. I listened to an NPR interview with Nate Boyer, a 6 tour green beret, and, briefly, a professional football player. He said the kneeling was meant to respectfully convey mourning, you mourn things that you believe in, that are important; for the innocent dead, the divided communities, the squandered sacrifice of the proud and brave who came before and the better nation we might be. He never kneeled himself, and wished Kaepernick never had, but he doesn’t call it respectful. But boy does he get a lot of hate mail over it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-colin-kaepernick-actually-trying-to-protest-police-brutality-or-just-trigger-conservatives/837148.md?page=4)